Owarinai Yume
by Cattykit
Summary: [Complete] Ayame, Haruka, and Rika are three regular highschool girls with a strict-kind teacher by the name of Kagome Higurashi. But after she starts to act strangely, will they discover her past?
1. Part I

Owarinai Yume

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and this will be the only time I will say this! So don't sue!

Ok, well this idea sorta popped out of nowhere. I was at art class drawing a stupid chair when I thought of this. Yes, I was bored. LOL. Hope you enjoy it! And review, review, review!

Ch. 1 

The air seemed so much cleaner, now that it had been rid of Naraku's evil miasma. He had finally been defeated at long last. Even the great Naraku couldn't withstand against a blow to the heart by Kagome's sacred arrow, Inuyasha's Bakuryuuha ultimate attack, and a hit from Sango's boomerang all at once. His body disintegrated from the inside out, leaving but a pile of ashes. And now, those ashes were disappearing, blown away by the caressing wind.

Kagome gave a sigh of contentment. It was over. Finally. She looked down at Inuyasha crouched beside her and he gave her a lopsided grin. They had all been injured in one way or another, but nothing life-threateningly dangerous. Inuyasha had a what must be painful cut across his chest. She herself had cuts all over her body. Miroku stood nearby, marveling at his whole hand, which he promptly rested on Sango's backside. An instant later, he lay on the ground with a red handprint across his cheek. Sango had slashes from Naraku's flailing tentacles, and Shippo had been sent back to the village before the battle, despite his many protests.

Kagome knelt down next to Inuyasha. She attempted staunch the flow of blood from his wound by pressing his clothes to his body; hoping it would absorb the blood. Her eyes flew back up to his face and she gave him another smile, not knowing why. Quietly, Sango snuck away, dragging an unconscious Miroku along with her, understanding that her friends needed some alone time.

Hesitantly, Inuyasha lifted his hand and traced the fine scar across Kagome's cheek from when her bowstring snapped. Fortunately she had been able to obtain another bow, but the scar would forever remain. She shuddered involuntarily from his touch and placed her hand over his gently. She looked into his eyes and was immediately ensnared. Such emotions lay in those golden orbs, and she felt herself slowly leaning toward him. His hand traveled to the back of her head and fisted in her hair, pulling her toward him. Their lips met in a soft, sensual kiss. Kagome ran her fingers through Inuyasha's beautiful silver hair, reveling at the silkiness despite all the battles he had been through. 

They continued to kiss until their lungs screamed for breath. Inuyasha reluctantly broke the kiss. "Kagome…"

"Inuyasha." She replied.

"Kagome, now that Kikyo has been put to rest, Naraku has been destroyed and the jewel has been completed, I need to ask you something." He said seriously.

"Yes?" Kagome asked, her heart doing flips in her chest.

"I'm gonna take a leaf out of Miroku's book, but… will you bear my child?" He took her hand in his own.

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, as Kagome answered, "Yes, yes! I love you, Inuyasha!" She cried, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her nose into the crook of his neck, as his arms came around her waist. She breathed in his scent. He smelled like the forest, wild and woodsy, and she loved it to death. She knew from that moment on that Inuyasha would be the only man for her. She took his face with her delicate fingers and kissed him passionately. She felt her heart soar when he kissed her back. 

But something was wrong… She felt his presence begin to slowly fade and the face between her hands began to feel cold and light. She tore away with wide eyes as she watched his face become more and more transparent. Her look of horror was mirrored in his eyes. They grabbed at each other desperately, holding on for all they were worth, but to no avail. Kagome's arms fell through his fading body to clutch at her own. Inuyasha and the forest swirled together into a familiar blue glow. Suddenly, she found herself beside the well in the well house in her own time. She stared in disbelief. This couldn't be happening! She jumped into the well and landed on the cold dirt ground. She could still see the wood ceiling of the well house above her. She sobbed and sobbed, pounding on the ground before collapsing in fatigue. Inuyasha was gone.

~*~*~*~*~

Kagome jerked up into a sitting position from her bed. She looked around and found herself in her room and in her bed. Giving a frustrated cry, she punched her pillow. Why did these dreams haunt her? She fell back onto her bed again and clenched her fists tightly. It had been five years since she had been in the feudal era and not until recently did she receive these memory dreams about her past. It was beyond annoying. Her subconscious just seemed to really like to rub in her loss. 

She grabbed her gigantic stuffed animal dog automatically. It was white and furry and a gift from Inuyasha on her 18th birthday. She smiled at the memory, he had completely taken her by surprise with the present and she loved the cute stuffed animal. It reminded her immensely of him. She buried her nose in the dog's fur, amazed that it still had a faint whiff of Inuyasha's forest scent even after five years. Then again, she had never washed it. The stuffed dog was one of the only things that she had left to remind her of Inuyasha. 

Another reminder was the pictures that stood on her bedside table. Her mother had taken it and forced Inuyasha to put his arms around her. She smiled at the faint blush of his cheeks. The picture next to it was of when it was on the new moon. Inuyasha had come over to stay for the night and in the photo, he was standing behind a sitting Kagome. The last picture was of the entire group, Inuyasha, herself, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kirara, and Kaede. They had to ask a passing villager to help take it and it had taken quite a few tries. They were wonderful reminders. Not that she needed a reminder. He was on her mind 24/7 anyway. To say that she missed him terribly would be a great understatement. She would have given anything and everything to be with him again.

She gave a huge sigh and stared up at her ceiling, imagining she was really out in the fresh air staring up at the stars in the Feudal Japan. And she imagined that the stuffed dog in her arms was really her Inuyasha holding her lovingly.

*

Ayame, Rika, and Haruka gossiped quietly with their chairs turned toward each other. There was still three minutes before history class started and they were determined to squeeze fun into every precious second. After the said minutes were over, a young woman with strict attire walked gracefully in. Her raven hair was pulled into a neat, but tight bun at the top of her head and her immaculate navy blue suit put the principal to shame. Her pretty features were set in a stoic expression. The three girls immediately quieted down. 

"Ohayo, Higurashi-san," Haruka offered with a charming smile.

The sensei nodded in return. She swept the class with her eyes expectantly and as if by magic, the students took out their textbooks and opened them in unison. A ruffle of paper was the only noise that could be heard. A new student who sat next to Rika folded her hands nervously. Rika gave her a reassuring smile and giggled inwardly. She and her other two friends knew that even if Higurashi-san seemed extremely strict, she was really a very nice and friendly woman. Her austere face was just a façade to make the students work harder. 

Higurashi-san gave another nod to a random student and he stood up and began to read a paragraph out of the book at once. She sat down in her chair with a straight back and corrected papers on her desk as the student read and after a while, chose another student to continue reading. She gave herself a satisfied sigh for training the students so obediently. When there was only ten minutes left until the period ended, she told the girl who was reading to stop.

"Thank you, Yaeko. That will be enough. Students, please take out your agendas." Without waiting, she continued and at the same time, wrote the assignment on the board. "Your homework is to finish reading pages 187 to 221. After that, write a page long essay on Japanese legends. You are required to do at least two legends. And after that, answer questions one through seven on page 221. This will be due tomorrow." 

A few faint groans could be heard at this announcement. One boy folded his arms stubbornly and muttered under his breath, "Bitch."

Higurashi-san turned her head abruptly at his mutter and gave him a withering glare. He slid a bit down his seat. "I believe that will be a detention and a trip to the principal's office, Toshiko. You may leave now." She said in a slightly shaky voice. He nodded dejectedly and slouched out the door. After he had left, she turned toward the rest of the class, "You may use the rest of the period to do your homework. If you will excuse me…" She trailed off and she too walked out of the door, but a tear at the corner of her eye was obvious. The rest of the class whispered to each other at the never before seen event. Most of the class had never taken the time to get to know their teacher.

Rika gave an annoyed growl and raised her voice, "She _is_ human, ya know!"

Ayame cocked her head to the side slightly, "Still, I wonder how a little name calling could have made Higurashi-san so upset." She sighed, "We better talk to her after school to make sure she's okay." 

"Don't we always do that anyway?" Rika asked.

"This time, we have to be serious." Haruka said seriously. The others burst into laughter, Haruka was never serious.

"What?" She asked innocently.

*

Ayame knocked tentatively on Higurashi-san's door. Rika and Haruka stood a bit behind her staring off at the school campus. After a few seconds, their sensei opened the door and gave a welcoming smile, "Come in."

When they had all entered the room, she continued, "Was there something you girls wanted?" She looked at all three of them. Rika and Haruka pushed Ayame forward.

She glanced at her teacher nervously, "Ah, Higurashi-san, we were just wondering… why were you crying this morning?" She asked quickly.

Higurashi-san's smile turned into a small frown. She spoke slowly, "Well, that's not a question I was expecting, but…"

"Was it the first time someone called you a 'bitch'?" Haruka asked bluntly.

Higurashi-san shook her head with a small sad smile on her lips, "No, I've been called a 'bitch' _many_ a time. But it has been a while, five years in fact. I guess it just caught me by surprise and it brought back a hell of a lot of memories." She sighed wistfully. 

Rika stared at her suspiciously, "Higurashi-san, exactly how old are you?" The others kicked her discreetly. 

She looked surprise, "Another unexpected question, but I'm not really an old woman so I will answer. I'm 23 years old."

All three of them stared at her. Haruka was the first to speak, "Really? We thought you were at least in your late twenties."

Higurashi-san smiled dryly, "Why, thank you."

"But I still don't understand," Ayame broke in, "Why did the memories make you cry? I mean the person who called you that couldn't have been that cruel, right? I mean, I don't know crap about your past, but… well… I dunno." She stared off at a far wall, uneasily.

"It's alright. The man who called me a 'bitch' was anything but cruel. It was more of a term of endearment." She felt the sting of tears again and quickly wiped at her eyes. The movement didn't go unnoticed by the trio.

"Do you love him?" Haruka, the romantic, asked softly.

Higurashi-san put her head in her hands tiredly, "With all my heart." She replied sincerely. The three girls 'aw'ed together.

"Well, then, why don't you get him back?" Rika asked naively.

"It's impossible," Higurashi-san sighed. "I shall never see him again."

"Nothing's impossible when you're in love." Haruka said with stars in her huge, brown eyes.

"It is for this woman. I won't ever be able to get back to where he lives. Look, I'm not exactly comfortable talking about this subject. It has been five years, but it still hurts. I know! How about you three girls come to the archery contest at the park tomorrow. I'm going to be entering this year. We can talk then."

"You're full of surprises, you know that, Higurashi-san? I never knew you took archery!" Haruka said adoringly. 

Higurashi-san gave a light laugh, "I'm not just a history teacher. When I was a teenager, I lived in an area where, er, archery was a requirement."

Ayame gave a happy smile, "Great! We'll be there!" She ushered the other girls out the door, "See you then!" After a chorus of good-byes, they left. 

Kagome sighed deeply, why was she thinking of Inuyasha so much now? It hadn't been that much of a problem for the last two years, but all of the sudden, she felt lonelier than ever. The thought of never feeling Inuyasha's arms around her and his scent surrounding her, warming her body and her heart, made her feel so very somber.

^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

Hmmm, I was hoping for more, but… ::shrugs shoulders:: Oh well, no use crying over split milk. I'm not quite sure if that saying fits this situation, but that's okay! LOL. Well, what do you think? This was a really different idea I thought of. I usually like to do AU fics, that is unless it's like a one shot or something, but I think I like where this is going. Don't forget to review! The archery contest is coming up for chapter 2!


	2. Part II

Owarinai Yume

Wow, it's been a long time since I updated! And I'm so so so so so so so times a million sorry for it! Will you forgive me? ::gives big puppy eyes::

Ch. 2 

The next twenty-four hours went by surprisingly fast and before they knew it, the inseparable trip found themselves walking the park in which the archery contest was to be held. Spring was upon them and the temperature seemed just right. Not too hot, not too cold. The swallows chirped gaily in their nests and flowers bloomed beautifully in the fields. Yet, neither Ayame, Rika, or Haruka paid mind to any of it. They were all anxious to see their teacher in action.

A brisk stroll and a few minutes later, they came to a stop at Sakura Park, the very center of Tokyo city. They could see lanes and targets had been lined up across the vast field. Contestants, about a score or so of them, busied themselves in readying for the tournament while the crowd busied themselves in arguing over seats. 

Though all the contestants wore the same uniform for the competition, one face stood out. 

"Higurashi-san!" Haruka called out. 

Kagome's head whipped in their direction and she waved. They hurried over. 

"Higurashi-san!" Haruka repeated, "How are you doing today? Are you ready?"

Kagome smiled, "Yes, I believe I am, thanks. Though you three better find yourselves a seat before the mayor starts the contest." She advised. They took her suggestion and, after much struggle, found themselves a relatively good seat in the bleachers. 

The mayor, who was a pompous kindly old man, took to the stage. He was short and it took some adjusting to the microphone for him to begin to initiate the contest. With a light tap for testing, he cleared his throat importantly, "Konnichiwa, minna-san. This will be the 1st annual archery contest. The rules will be as follows: For the elimination round, the first ten contestants who hit the bulls-eye or the ring around it, will get into the actual competition. After that, for the first round, each contestant will be given ten arrows and whoever misses to hit the target with even one arrow will be eliminated. In the second round, the contestants will be given again, ten arrows, but if even one arrow fails to hit the target or hits the most outer ring of the target will be eliminated. And so the rounds after that will continue in that pattern until, in the last round, the remaining contestants must strike the bulls eye with all ten arrows." He paused to draw in a long breath. His hand rose in the air. 

"Now, let the tournament begin!" His hand dropped and at the same time, loud horns burst out. 

Kagome took her time while the other contestants rushed forward to string up their bows. She examined her arrows critically, testing them for balance and how straight each were. The arrows were made of wood with dulled metallic tips, nothing that would have been able to compare to the deadly points of the arrows of the Sengoku Jidai, but then again, she wasn't about to kill a youkai at the moment. 

When she had selected the perfect arrow, she strung it to her bow expertly, oblivious to her opponents whom had no such skill in their reckless attempts to tackle the bulls eye. Skillfully, she pulled the string taut and shut one of her eyes, lining the arrow slightly above her target and released the arrow with certainty… 

_Thunk!_

The trio of girls gaped in awe at the woman's skill and joined in with the smatter of applause that went around the stands. She had managed to nail the bulls eye in just one shot. With poise, the archer strode to the bench off to the side and sat down with composure. Some of the other archers turned to look at her, a certain envy in their narrowed gazes, but Kagome pretended to not notice. 

Before long, other contestants joined her one the bench until one last woman of around her mid-twenties managed to pin her arrow to her target successfully. The horns blared again to signal the end of the elimination round. 

The mayor stepped forward again, "Very good, very good! Now we will proceed to the second round. Are you ready, contestants? You will not be permitted to miss the target at all!" He waved his hands dramatically. The people with the horns took that as a sign for the next round and they blasted the horns. 

Not until the loud clapping had subsided were they able to hear the mayor shout… "No! Not yet! I wasn't finished!"

The horn blowers shrugged their shoulders sheepishly at one another. 

The mayor continued, "The contestants will be able to choose their arrows. We have a variety of them, each can choose which style will best suit them. Be warned however, only the advanced may use the sharp-tipped arrows."

Kagome walked to the stand where the arrows were. She once again took her time pondering the quality of the arrows. Inspecting the dull-tipped ones before turning her attention to the sharp-tipped ones. In the end, she chose the sharp-tipped wooden arrows. They had a similar build to the ones from the Sengoku Jidai. 

The horns, which the girls were beginning to tire of, blew loudly and the second round began. Kagome took less time to shook her arrow this time, she had, after all, chosen which ones she wanted. Most of her ten hit the bulls eye while several flew to the larger ring around it. Satisfied, she turned her attention to the other competitors. A few had struck out, and even less had been able to hit the bulls eye with consistency.

Before long, that round had ended as well. The rounds continued until the very last round. All other rings were out of bounds now. Only three contestants remained. Kagome was slightly sweating. The thick kimonos that the competition had required them to wear didn't help cool her off from the hot weather. 

The horns cued the last round and she fit her arrow to her bow, her gloved hands caressing the wood and wire. She couldn't lose now.

She aimed and shot, her arrow flying true. Before she had even looked up to see if she had made it, Kagome had strung up another arrow. The time passed fleetingly and before it had registered in her mind, she was on her second to last arrow. She hit the middle _perfectly_, the middle of the middle. But she took no note and groped around in her straw basket on her back for another arrow. To her surprise, she could only find one more. 

Slowly she pulled it out and looked at it. This was it. The last arrow. This was the first time she had ever entered any kind of archery competition, and now, more than ever, she wanted to win. If only for Inuyasha. 

To her left, the only other participant was stringing up her last arrow as well. She glanced to her right, their gazes locking for a moment. It was all or nothing now. Kagome turned her attention to her target and discovered a slight problem. The bulls eye was crowded with arrows. There was no other room for another arrow. Apparently, the mayor hadn't thought of this problem. Her opponent seemed to have encountered a similar problem.

But Kagome didn't care. The only thing that mattered now was winning. Her vision blurred and focused. The environment changed. She was back in the woods of the feudal era. Inuyasha was behind her, holding her in his arms, helping her position her arrow. And before her was a monster. A large centipede youkai, like the one she had fought when she first met Inuyasha. The sparkle of the sacred jewel within its belly was the bulls eye. 

She heard not the roaring of the crowds or felt the tension of the moment. It was almost as if time had stopped… just for her. 

But she was in her own world, with Inuyasha beside her, whispering sweet nothings in her ear, his breath puffing on her skin, and his arms moving over her sides. She could smell his wild forest scent. Her arms moved to pull the bow as much as it would bend, her eyes riveted on the shimmering glow of the Shikon. 

With an audible _twang_ she released the arrow. It sped to her target, and as much as she tried to suppress it, a faint glow flared from the tip. To her great distress, Inuyasha's presence faded. Her senses came roaring back to her and she blinked. 

People were screaming from the stands, and a few came over to congratulate her, including the mayor who was bearing a large golden trophy. Kagome, in confusion, faced her target and her mouth almost hung open.

Her arrow, in her immense concentration, had shot so powerfully that it had split the previous arrow in half to embed into the board. 

She was suddenly aware of the three girls that surrounded her in a semi-circle.

"Oh my god, Higurashi-san! I can't believe you were able to do that! I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes!" Haruka squealed.

Kagome's soft blue eyes warmed and she laughed, "Thank you Haruka-chan, but don't call me Higurashi-san. It makes me feel old. Just call me Kagome."

The girls encompassed her in an even smaller circle and bombarded her with praises and questions.

And Kagome couldn't stop smiling for even a second. 

*

By the time she got home, Kagome was exhausted. Apparently, the archery contest was a big deal and many people had attended. Everywhere she turned, someone was there to congratulate her. She slumped into her room in her small apartment and carefully placed the trophy next to the pictures of Inuyasha she had. 

Thankfully, the girls hadn't questioned her on what they wished to know the day before, seeing how tired she was, and let her off easy. But she could see the promise in their eyes. 

But she still couldn't stop smiling. 

She was sure of it! She was positive. Inuyasha had been with her in those last few moments of the contest. She could feel his youki, his aura was one of a kind. She couldn't have mistaken anything else for it. And his scent had covered her so completely, she knew she couldn't have imagined it. 

With that thought, she drifted off to sleep, and fell into the world of unconsciousness, where her beloved waited for her with open arms and a tender smile.

^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

Now how'd you think of that? I'll try to get out another chapter soon. My inspiration for this story has gone up again! Just as a warning, this story will probably be very short. I predict maybe a range of 6-10 chapters. But anyway, PLEASE, don't forget to review, or I just might NOT post another chapter ^_~

~*~*~

Review Responses 

~*~*~

**Emi**: OH MY GOD!!! I'm so sorry I kept you waiting for so long! And after you said you would say you would patiently wait for the next chapter. V_V I'm ashamed of myself. Thanks so much for your review! I hope you can review this one too.

**Elbereth**: Yup yup! The Shikon was what sent her back. Sad ain't it? I really hope that doesn't happen in the end. Have you ever seen Druihd's picture of her predicted ending? It's sooooo sad!!! T_T In case you've never seen it, the link is . So sad!!!!

**Kage no Yoake**: Nah, Inu won't be coming back as a reincarnation and this is definitely an Inu/Kag fic. But that's all I'm going to tell you! ^_^

**i fly on dreaming wings**: What a pretty name! LOL. And thank you! I won't be giving up on this one (hopefully) I'm glad you think it's promising!

**Kouga-chan**: Thank you! I can't tell you anything else, or it'll give it away! Hope you review again!

**Inuyasha-demonbride99**: Hmm… I'll have to say, it was probably you who helped be get off my lazy @ss to get this chapter written! I hadn't gotten a review in a while, and I just didn't feel like writing it, so thank you! Hope you review again! ::blows kisses::


	3. Part III

**Owarinai Yume**

Hi all! It's been a while since I updated. Sorry. Well, at least it wasn't as long as last time. At least… I don't think it was…I put out a link to a fan art to on a review response but it didn't show up on the ff.net so I'm reposting it. It's by Druihd, a marvelous artist, and this picture is her predicted ending to the series. It's kind of relevant to this story so I'm putting it up. If you people haven't seen Druihd's art, you should! It's really good!

Anyway, this is the link: http:// druihd. staze. org/ memories. html. Be sure to leave out the spaces! But be warned, this picture's quite sad!

Ch. 3 

Kagome bleary opened her eyes. _What time is it?_ She asked herself. She sluggishly pushed herself up and brushed a hand through her sleep-tousled hair. She looked at her clock. 

_10:45? Thank god it's a Sunday._ She quickly got out of bed and grabbed a stack of papers before slipping back into the warmth of her bed. She ruffled through the papers and picked out the ones that needed to be graded by Monday. 

"Hmm…" She had assigned a short essay to be written on the Feudal Era of Japan and so far, these papers were nowhere near the quality she had been looking for. 

"Let's see, he spelled 'Feudal' wrong three times… and he misspelled 'Era'… I'll give it a 7 out of 10." She wasn't a hard grader. She didn't know what other people were talking about, but in her opinion, she graded just fine.

Once through with the homework papers, she flung back her covers a second time and left her room to get ready for the day. 

As she was brushing her teeth, the phone rang shrilly. She gave a quick rinse and spit before leaving to pick up the phone. 

"Moshi moshi," she replied into the phone.

"Good morning, Hig- I mean Kagome-san!"

Kagome smiled. "Good morning, Haruka-chan. What are you calling for?"

"Ano… you were really tired last night so you didn't get to celebrate for your victory! Rika, Ayame, and me- "

"I," Kagome corrected automatically.

"… And I decided that we should celebrate today!" She finished enthusiastically.

"I don't know… I have papers to correct…"

"Please?!" Haruka pleaded over the phone. 

After a few seconds of hesitation, she gave in, "Alright then, if you insist. When and where?"

"In half an hour at WacDonald's." Haruka replied. 

"Okay, see you then."

"Bye, Kagome-san!"

*Click*

*

Kagome opened the door to the popular fast food restaurant, WacDonald's. Once inside, she immediately spotted the three girls sitting by the window, sipping their sodas and munching on fries.

"Kagome-san!" Ayame greeted her.

"Good morning, girls." Kagome nodded in return. She took a seat by Rika and immediately, they pushed a milkshake and a tray of fries in front of her. She thanked them. 

Kagome took a sip of the milkshake like she would a cup of tea. "So… What did you really call me here for?" 

The three looked at each other rather guiltily. Rika and Ayame looked to Haruka, urging her with their eyes for her to speak. 

Haruka sighed, "Alright, I'll talk. See we wanted to know who ("Whom," Kagome corrected) it was that you liked. You told us about him on Friday remember? We were really curious about it. What do you mean you couldn't ever see him? I mean if you really wanted to, you could buy a plane ticket at visit him."

Kagome sighed. "Please girls, even if I did tell you, you'd think I was crazy. Getting carted off to an asylum isn't on my to-do list."

Ayame turned pleading eyes to her, "Oh, please? You wouldn't know! Maybe we would believe you!"

She shook her head, adamant, "Uh-uh. The only thing I can tell you is his name and what he was like." Kagome gave the slightest accent to the word 'was'.

"Okay then, tell us!" They urged. 

"Well…" Kagome fidgeted slightly, she was still a bit hesitant, "the first time I met him, he was quite… hostile. He hated my guts and I his. We fought each other and never agreed on anything. He called me names, swore frequently, took me for granted and never appreciated anything I did for him." 

"So why do you like him?" Haruka interrupted. 

Kagome continued, "But once I got to know him, I saw a different side of him. Whenever things got rocky, he was there for me. Always. In my… old home, it was quite dangerous and he would always protect me. He had a softer, kinder side and I would have never seen if I hadn't gotten to know him. I trusted him with my life. 

"And before I knew it, I was falling in love with him. I could tell that he cared a lot for me too, even though he had conflicts with his ex. She'd… left him and he was still heartbroken over her. What's worse was that I could practically pass for her double. But in the end, he finally let her go and he told me that he loved me…" Kagome stared out the window, her eyes unfocused, drifting in her memories. 

The three girls gave a sigh in unison. "That is _so_ romantic." Haruka breathed. 

"But what happed to you two?" 

Kagome eyed them, "That's all I'm telling you remember?"

Rika pouted, "But you never told us his name." She protested. 

Kagome gave a small smile. "You caught me there. His name is Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha?" Rika repeated. "What an odd name. Never heard it before."

But Haruka's mouth was flapping like a fish. "I know an Inuyasha!" 

The teacher's gaze immediately snapped to her excited pupil. "Oh?"

"Yeah! That's my grandfather's name. Maybe you should go visit him and see if he's anything like your Inuyasha."

Kagome felt her heart thumping in her chest. _Could it be…?_ "I just might." She replied softly.

"We can visit him now! He just came to town a few days ago. I'm sure he won't mind a few visitors!" She stood up and grabbed Kagome's hand. "Come on! He's living at my house and that's only a few blocks away from here!"

"Wait." Kagome stopped her.

"What's wrong?" 

"We haven't paid for our food yet." 

*

Kagome stood calmly next before the door of Haruka's home, but inside, she was shaking like a leaf. What if it really was him? Could it be possible for his half human blood to last that long? A sudden thought struck her. What if he used the Shikon jewel and turned himself into a full demon?

Haruka rang the doorbell impatiently.

They heard an annoyed grumble on the other side before it was jerked open.

Kagome held her breath…

(**A/N**: It would be SO fun to leave it here, but… I'm feeling nice. Maybe just a few more paragraphs ^_^)

… Only to let it out in a 'whoosh'.

A grumpy, elderly lady stood at the door, her hands on her hips. She was slightly plump and wore an apron. "Haruka, you had a key. Why didn't you just open the door by yourself?"

Haruka sweat-dropped. "Heh, heh. Oh yeah… I forgot. Sorry, Mama."

The woman just rolled her eyes and walked away.

"Come on!" Haruka urged. "I'll show you Grandpa's room." The girl led her down the hallway to the left and knocked on the last door. "Grandpa," she whispered timidly, "You have a visitor." She turned to Kagome and confided quietly to her, "He has great hearing."

Kagome's heart just beat all the more harder.

"Come in," a gruff voice replied. 

Haruka opened the door and sitting on the couch watching the television was…

Kagome gasped. She couldn't hold it back. 

_It's… it's him. It's really him._

It was undoubtedly Inuyasha. He had aged, most definitely, but there was no doubt in Kagome's mind that it was Inuyasha, right from the silver hair to the amber eyes. His eyebrows were still as arched as ever, but she could see the once midnight black hairs were graying somewhat. She could see the creases across his face, too, but for a grandfather, he looked remarkably young. 

"Tell the bugger to go away," he grumbled, his eyes still glued to the screen, flipping through the channels. 

"I think Mama takes after him," she whispered into her ear, "I'll let you have some time together." With that, she left.

Kagome silently thanked Haruka before walking as quietly as possible to Inuyasha's side. Her heart was nearly bursting with happiness. "Sorry to disappoint, doggy, but this bugger's stayin' around for a few questions," she managed in the calmest voice possible.

Inuyasha's eyes snapped immediately to her face. 

He dropped the remote control. "K… Kagome…"

She was unable to hold up her calm face anymore. "Inuyasha!" She collapsed into his open arms. 

He hugged her back, just as fiercely. "Kagome…"

"Oh, Inuyasha!" She sobbed into his shoulder, "You don't know how long I've been waiting to see you again!"

Inuyasha stroked her hair and inhaled deeply, reveling in her scent. "I do know. You might've waited for five years, but I've waited for five _hundred_ years just to see you again."

She raised her head and looked into his eyes, a smile across her face. "I'm glad you're back."

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Yay! They're back together! Just letting you guys know, this will be a REALLY short fic. The next chapter will either be the last or the second to last. I'm so, SO sorry to make you guys wait so long! This isn't the best fic, but I hope you guys will review anyway! Thanks!

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Review Responses 

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**skne**: Thank you! It's not the best story, like I said, but I'm glad you think it's interesting. **Alana-star**: Thank you! Yes, I try to aim at angst, 'cuz I love to read it, but I just can't seem to write it. I'll be happy when I'm able to write a real tearjerker. **Inuyasha-demonbride99**: Thank you for the compliment! ::smiles as head swells:: I'm really glad that you like my stories. I'll try to get the next chapter out soon and I'll definitely try to make it snappy! **Shadow Daughter**: It makes me so happy that some people really like this story! So thank you, Elbereth/Shadow Daughter! **Halfling Rogue**: Heh, heh, don't worry! She will! I love writing (and reading) angst fics but only with happy endings ^_^ **taijyasango**: XD Thank you! Here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoyed!


	4. Part IV

Owarinai Yume 

**A/N**: _Last chapter! 0_o But there's an epilogue too! So stay tuned! Boy do I sound like a tv announcer or what? LOL. Oh, by the way, I'm sorry, but this chapter's really short! Sorry!_

Ch. 4 

Inuyasha gave a sigh of contentment. All these years… and he finally found her. He had waited… _so long_. So long that he'd lost track of the time. He deeply inhaled the scent of his love nestled in his arms. 

He gave a grim little chuckle. But he was _old_ now. He'd hoped that his demon blood would last long enough to allow him a life with Kagome. But he never thought of just how big the difference between his old time and hers had been. He was now over six hundred years old. Talk about robbing the cradle. 

He couldn't live in this time with her like this. There was only one other choice.

And because he loved her more than anything he had ever known…

He was willing to throw away everything for her.

"Kagome," he whispered softly. 

She looked up at him. "Yes?" 

"I've missed you so much."

She smiled and rested her head against his chest. It felt kind of awkward like this, she contemplated. He looked different now. It felt strange to be with him like this. 

But she didn't care. She loved him that much. 

"Me too."

Inuyasha gave a gentle grin and leaned back so his head touched the couch. 

A sudden thought hit Kagome. "Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?"

"How did you get to be a grandfather?"

Inuyasha smirked. "Do I hear a little jealousy?" 

"Inuyasha!"

"Calm down. I adopted Haruka's mother when she was a little girl. I found her on the side of a road, abandoned. I would never replace you with anyone."

She gave a sad little smile, "You shouldn't have let me get in the way of your happiness."

"Kagome, _you_ were my happiness. As long as I still had my memories of you and as long as I was still faithful, I was happy."

She hugged him. "I still wish the well hadn't pulled us apart."

Inuyasha was quiet for a moment, then, in a voice so soft she almost missed it, "I can grant that wish."

Kagome froze, "What?"

He stood up from the couch and motioned for him to follow her. Curious, she complied. 

He opened the door to a room that had slipped her notice. It was a small closet, barely big enough to fit one person in it. He reached his hand to the top most shelf and pulled out a small, brown jewelry box. He opened it.

Suddenly, Kagome felt herself overwhelmed by a familiar aura. "Shikon no tama…" She breathed, her eyes the shape of saucers. "But how…?"

"This box is specifically designed to shield the Shikon's presence. I'm getting old. I can't always fight off demons." He explained.

"You… kept this all this time?" 

"Well, I wasn't about to just throw it into the ocean," Inuyasha gave a dry smile.

Gently, she took it from the box and held it in her hands. 

Inuyasha's face grew grim. "You can use that."

"Huh?"

"I'm not sure if it will work, but you can try to use the jewel to get to the other side of the well."

Kagome was speechless. "But… you…"

Inuyasha gave her cheek a small stroke. "Don't worry about me."

"But… everything that's happened from then to now, will be… gone. It will have never happened. I… I just can't do that to you!"

"Kagome… you have to do this. I want you to do this. We can be together again. Like we should have been from the start. Please, I really want you to do this." He whispered. 

"Inuyasha…"

"It's alright."

She lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thank you… thank you." She sobbed into his hair. 

He hugged his own arms around her waist, breathing in her wonderful fragrance. "You're welcome."

"Er… am I interrupting something?" Haruka's voice by the door made both of them turn their heads in her direction. 

*

Inuyasha stood next to Kagome by the well house door of the Sunset Shrine. He looked at her one last time. "Kagome… I guess this is good bye."

"I guess so," she whispered. She gave him one last hug before she turned from him and placed her hand on the well door. She slid it open.

Slowly, she stepped inside and turned back around to look at him, staring deep into his eyes. "I love you," he mouthed as she slid the door back close. Her gaze never once left his eyes. 

Then, with a flash of light that he felt more than he saw, she was gone. 

It wasn't until several hours later when he left.

*

Kagome took a deep breath as she stood before the well. She realized that if she went through, she would probably never come back again. It was now or never, and it was too late to back out. She felt the dull pulse of the jewel and she clenched her fist tightly around it.

Carefully, Kagome lifted one foot and then the other over the side of the well. She sat on the edge, preparing herself for the jump. Belatedly, she noticed that if the well didn't let her through, she would probably break something. The last time it had refused her entry, she nearly sprained her ankle. 

Taking a deep calming breath, she tensed her muscles and pushed off the edge.

Immediately, she felt the familiar sensation of power stirring and engulfing her as she was carried back five hundred years into the past. This was it. The well had let her pass and she was finally going back to the Sengoku Jidai. A giant smile blossomed across her face as she let her body relax. 

Then, the light disappeared and left her standing in the middle of the well as sunlight shone down on her. She continued to grin as she gripped the sturdy vines resting against the side of the well, and she continued to grin as she pulled herself up higher and higher into the sunlight. 

She had returned.

*

Inuyasha sat up so fast, he almost fell off the branch he sat on. His eyes widened to an impossible size as he continued to sniff the air. It couldn't be! … Could it…?

He jumped off his branch and slowly approached the well. Nearly everyday since the day she had been pulled away five years ago, he had sat by the well in the hopes that she would come climbing out of it again like she had for the three years he had known her. And now…

Sure enough, as his breath caught and his throat tightened, she poked her head out of the well, looking around the clearing. In a fraction of an instant, he was by her side, lifting her out of the well with a strength that had left him when she had left. 

"Inuyasha!" She said in slight surprise, a look of happiness on her face.

He said nothing, but tugged her tightly into his embrace and buried his nose into her neck, deeply inhaling her scent. 

She had – _finally_ – returned. 

And he would _never_ let her go again. 

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**A/N**: _Whoo! I got another chapter out! Really fast too, wouldn't you say? Well, a lot faster than the last chapters anyway ^_^ There's still one chapter left! And then this story's finished! Of course, it's just the epilogue, so technically, this story is already finished, but oh well. I like epilogues ^_^_

_PLEASE review!_

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Review Responses 

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**Calendar**: Yes, of course it's him! You think I'd leave this story with them separate? LOL. **Alana-star**: Heh, thanks for the review! Interesting dialogue there! Don't forget to review for this chapter ^^ **Starberry05**: Yes, isn't it? LOL. Thanks for reviewing! **Blah~!**: Well, I hope I answered your question here. I knew people would ask about this ^_^ Thanks for the compliment! **Alia**: Thank you! I know this isn't the best of fics, but I'm glad you like it! **animemistress419**: Thank you! Your question should be answered here! I hope you've enjoyed the chapter! **RKFreak-a-zoid**: Haha, yes, I'm a hopeless romantic too! But I don't like the stories where when the lovers unite, they had this impossibly fluffy ending. I like fluff, but it seems to give the story an appropriate close if it's restrained. Plus, there's still the next chapter! ^_^ **Shadow Daughter**: Hey! You're back! Yes, I am sorry for the short chapters, but this is an overall short fic. I probably could have made it into a one-shot, but then, what would be the fun in that? LOL. Thank you for reviewing! Let me know how you think of this chapter! **Ganko**: Thank you! You reviewed for almost all of my stories! Thanks! I hope your question's answered here! Also, if you don't mind, could you check out my little one-shot "Memories"? I would really appreciate it, thanks!! Bye!


	5. Epilogue

Owarinai Yume 

**A/N**: The epilogue! …Sort of. Anyway, this has got to be the cheesiest and shortest epilogue of all time. I hope you guys enjoy it, LOL.

~*~Epilogue~*~ 

"So, how did Higurashi-san respond to you grandfather?" Rika asked in their few precious minutes before class started. 

Haruka shrugged, "Dunno. After half an hour, I checked in his room and they were gone! After a few hours, Gramps came back and I asked about her, but he just grunted and locked himself in his room."

"Strange. I guess we'll just have to ask her about it after class."

The bell rang and they took to their seats. 

"Hello, class," a high-pitched, breathy voice came from the doorway and everyone in the room craned their necks to see who it was. It was a freakishly skinny woman with fake blonde hair and red-framed glasses. 

Haruka's eyebrows shot up to disappear in into her hair. This was the first time in the entire year that she'd been gone. What could have happened? She turned to look at her friends to see identical startled looks on their faces. 

They turned their eyes back to the skinny teacher as she took role. For now, all they could do was wait.

*

Kagome sighed contentedly as she leaned against Inuyasha. They were sitting in the branches of the Goshinboku and she couldn't be happier. Gently, he nuzzled his nose against her neck, deeply inhaling her scent. She giggled at the sensation. He smiled in return and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. 

"I can't believe you're back."

Kagome laughed, "You've said that at least a hundred times since yesterday."

"That's 'cause I mean it."

Kagome turned her head to rest it in the crook of his neck. "I missed you so much."

He grinned, "Me too."

She looked up at him expectantly and he smiled, knowing the look. He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the lips. He savored the feeling and the taste. He'd been waiting for an agonizing five years for this. He'd thought that he would never see her again; it was expected. She had, after all, disappeared before his very eyes. His heart had been broken. He refused to eat, to sleep, to talk. It went on for months until Miroku and Sango managed to snap him out of it. 

And when, nearly a year later, the two had gotten married, he couldn't help but sink once again into his depression. He knew that he would never be able to share his life with anyone but Kagome. He'd wished desperately that the ones standing before the priest, reciting their vows were Kagome and he. But on the inside, he knew it could never be.

But now…

But now, new possibilities suddenly had sprung up. He could get married. He could start a family. His arms tightened around Kagome. He would never, ever, let her out of his sight again.

"You know… we ought to let the others know I'm back."

Inuyasha gave a short laugh. They still hadn't told the others yet, in their haste to reacquaint themselves. Inuyasha flushed at the memory and shook his head as if to dislodge it from his mind. 

"Yea, you're right."

He gripped her firmly around the waist and jumped to the ground beneath them. She released her hold around his neck and she slipped her hand into his as they made their way to the village.

*

"Where do you think he is?" Sango asked her husband. In her arms was their first baby, Kohaku, in memory of her brother, whom had died after they extracted the shard from him. The baby was currently sleeping soundly.

"Don't worry about him. He knows how to take care of himself. He's probably by the well again." Miroku soothed.

Sango shook her head pityingly. "Poor Inuyasha…" When Kagome had left, they all had been stricken by grief, but Inuyasha was the one who took it the hardest. He'd taken to waiting by the well nearly everyday, if only to reminisce about his past.

They both looked through the window in the direction of the well… and their jaws dropped.

There was Inuyasha, with a look on his face that they hadn't seen since Kagome left. And next to him, holding his hand was…

_Kagome._

They looked at each other, stunned, for a second. In the mad scramble to get out the door that followed, baby Kohaku awoke and was nearly dropped. The both of them struggled to get through the door at the same time, before they compromised and Sango stepped through first. The two of them ran to the approaching couple, still in awe. Was that really Kagome?

"Sango-chan! Miroku-sama!" Kagome beamed. She unclasped her hand from Inuyasha's and ran to embrace her friends. 

"Kagome-chan!" Sango half-sobbed, half-laughed. "I can't believe you're back!"

"I've missed you guys so much! And is that your baby?" She cooed and stroked Kohaku's cheek. Sango gave the baby to Miroku and pulled Kagome into a tight hug.

"Gods, we thought we'd never see you again! How in the world did you get back?" She queried. 

Kagome reached into the neck of her shirt and pulled out the Shikon no Tama that the Inuyasha back home had given her. 

Sango cocked her hand, "I don't understand. Inuyasha tried with the jewel already and it didn't work."

Inuyasha reached into the neck of his shirt and pulled out an identical jewel. The jaws of Miroku and Sango dropped for the second time that day.

"H-how…?" Miroku stuttered. 

"I met up with an Inuyasha in my time, yesterday. He said he'd been waiting five hundred years just to see me and he gave his jewel to me in the hopes that it would take me through the well and mend his past."

Miroku whistled, "Five hundred years? If that was me, I'd— " Miroku suddenly noticed the frosty look directed at him by his wife. 

"You'd?" Sango urged in a dangerous voice.

He gulped, "I'd wait just as long, my dear."

"That's what I thought."

Kagome laughed. "It's so nice to be back."

Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her shoulders tugged her into his chest. "We all missed you." He said softly against her ear. She smiled at him and leaned up to plant her lips on his. He returned the kiss eagerly.

"Get a room!" Miroku snorted as they continued to kiss, ignoring their audience (albeit an unwilling audience). 

Inuyasha pulled back and smirked at her. "Come on, bitch, let's go inside."

Kagome frowned. "I'm gone for five years and you still call me names? I thought we were past that!"

"Stupid! I'm a dog demon and you're my woman. It's an honor to be called a bitch!"

"Not to me! I'm a human and to humans that's an insult!" 

"You're being stupid!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are!"

"I'm not! SIT!"

A strangled curse burst from Inuyasha's mouth before he found himself embedded in the ground.

Miroku shook his head and chuckled. He put his harm around his wife's shoulders. "Looks like things are back to normal."

She smiled, "I agree."

**A/N**: THE END!!!!! Short? Yes. Cheesy? Most definitely :3 God, it took me so long to finish this five chaptered story! I'm thankful for all the support you guys gave and I hope you've enjoyed reading it (however bad it was =P). A corny ending, but… it was fluffy, right?? I'm just glad this is over and done with! Now I can move onto writing and finishing my other stories. Bye!

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Review Responses (::sniff:: I only got two reviews… but that's ok) 

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**animemistress419**: Thanks! Heh, I hope the epilogue didn't disappoint you. It was really short, but then again, the story was already pretty much finished by chapter 4. The epilogue is just to wrap things up. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing my story! **Alana-star**: Heehee, aren't they the cutest couple in the world?! I love them!! Thank you for reviewing this story and I hope you've enjoyed it! Now that it's finished, I just have to finish up NLA and onto chapter 6 of Dr. Do-Youkai ('cuz I know you love dat story ^_~)!!

Thank you everyone for your support!!!! 


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